LatinaLista — Most of the time politicians are saavy in hiding their true agendas when passing a particular bill. They usually can sneak an amendment in that caters to their own special interests or ideology without anyone being the wiser.
But the turn in the immigration debate with the recent wins by Republicans/Conservatives have given this group a cocky assuredness that empowers them to feel they no longer have to hide their true intentions among numerous amendments.
And what are those true intentions?
Is it maintaining the law of the land as they claim?
In Colorado, it’s as far from the spirit of the law as it gets, and it’s a sad day for anyone who believes in what America stands for.
State legislators passed House Bill 1023 which includes a section that says that children, though they are U.S. citizens, cannot receive in-state tuition if their parents are undocumented citizens.
(Source: enchantedlearning.com)
Colorado Confidential reports on how several state colleges have had to alter their tuition policies to comply with this new law.
What is the purpose of such a law?
At the very least, these families have resided in Colorado for 18 years. They have been very much a part of their local communities, contributing, working, spending their hard-earned money in the local economy.
Their children even more a part of the local fabric by virtue of the fact that they went through the state’s educational system, learned the rules, the language, how to pledge allegiance to the flag — how to be American.
Now, after all this time Colorado is making the determination that these children aren’t to be considered true citizens and receive what’s due them because their parents are not legal?
No one needs Latina Lista to point out the blatant discrimination and racism that serves as the foundation of this bill.
Is it a legal bill? At it’s most basic level, No!
Does this bill serve a purpose? Yes, it provides a legal means for empowering an elite group to persecute a growing minority of voters so they can never reach their full potential.
Well, we have only to look at South America and see the presidential campaigns of Rigoberta Menchú and Evo Morales to know that oppression, educational or otherwise, only enrages and inspires, but never deters — not is it ever forgotten.
Comment(1)
Colorado Luis
Actually, it’s even worse than that. These laws were passed by the Democratic state legislature as a way of being able to go into the 2006 elections saying they were “tough on immigration.” The law does not specifically say students need to prove that their parents are citizens to get in-state tuition, that’s just an “interpretation” that has come out recently (I suspect, at the urging of the same right wingers who intimidated the Colorado Dems into passing this piece of garbage in the first place).
I think it was an unintended consequence that the Colorado Democrats either weren’t prepared for or didn’t care about.
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